A long-sleeved dress shirt typically terminates in a cuff, which may have a slit to permit a person to more easily receive the narrowed end of the sleeves over the person's hands when getting dressed, and undressed. The conventional dress shirt includes one or more buttons and corresponding button holes, on each of the two sides of the cuff, respectively, which may be used to secure the cuffs together. The cuffs being so secured may better encircle the person's wrist while the shirt is being worn, to prevent them from siding down When the person's arms are raised.
A dress shirt that uses a different arrangement (e.g., typical tuxedo shirt) may have button holes on both sides of the cuff, and is known as a French cuff, for which cuff links may be used to secure the two sides of the cuff together. Additionally , a convertible cuff shirt is configured for dual functionality, and has a button tend a button hole on each of the two cuffs, where the button may be withdrawn to be disposed between the cuffs, to alternatively accommodate use of a cuff link for decorative purposes.
Early versions of today's cuff links are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 188,206 to Teters for “Button-Fastening”; U.S. Pat. No. 613,039 to Holden for “Cuff Button”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,430,008 to Eddy for a “Separable Button”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,031 to Avedon for “Magnetic Cuff Link.”
Today's cuff links have a front facing member that resembles the button they replace and which is generally visible atop the upper cuff side, and a bottom facing surface from which extends a post that is to be positioned between the cuffs, and a cross member that may be pivotally attached to the distal end of the post to trap the cuff between it and the front facing member.
Since it may be desirable for many people to alter the appearance of the cuff links to match the color of the shirt or the suit being worn, the person wearing the French cuff shirt or convertible cuff shirt ordinarily would own multiple pairs of cuff links. To address this problem, prior art inventions have sought to provide for an interchangeable ornamental piece that may be used to change the appearance of the cuff links. Such prior art is shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,747 to Benn; U.S. Pat. No, 3,538,556 to Shein; French Patent Publication FR2847130 to Benchimol Antonio; U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,838 to Gardner; U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,067 to Efron; U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,663 to Stoehr; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,667,650 to Duffin.
The present invention provides a unique structural arrangement that greatly enhances the ease of interchangeability of the decorative plates that may be used with the corresponding cuff link base.